- Editor's note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to NBC Sports California's Sharks coverage for the 2021-22 season. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
What was Clayton Keller playing for?
The Arizona Coyotes are the worst team in the Western Conference, long officially eliminated from the playoffs. Yet there was Keller, late in the third period, cutting hard to the net to try to add to a 3-2 Arizona Coyotes lead.
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Every year, when an Erik Karlsson or another San Jose Sharks player goes down with an injury late in the season, I hear the same refrain, why was so-and-so playing with nothing to play for?
And Keller’s injury would seemingly be an argument for mothballing your best players when you’re out of the playoff hunt.
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On the other hand, Keller – or any elite athlete, really – isn’t likely to become Keller if he’s picking and choosing when to play hard or sitting when he can play.